Summertime
by SaturnNights
Summary: Two months at a house by the beach, his friends at his side and the girl of his dreams. For Jaune, this summer could be one of the greatest. It's up to him whether or not he let's it just slip by.
1. Arrival

**Hello and welcome to a new story. Thank you for checking it out and I hope you'll enjoy it. This story is still fresh in my mind since I just came up with it recently, so I'm really excited to see where it goes from here.**

_Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of the characters, they are owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Jaune lowered the car window, instantly feeling the breeze as the ocean came into view.

The smile on his face didn't seem to go unnoticed by his friends, who all seemed to have a similar attitude.

"I haven't seen you this happy in awhile Jaune, it's only a vacation." Pyrrha said.

"Yeah, I know, it's just… this might be my final chance to ask her out." Jaune said.

"Jaune, you've been trying to ask Yang out on a date for years, do you really think a couple more months is going to make a difference?" Nora questioned him.

It was true, Jaune did indeed have multiple chances in the past to ask Yang out, but as time went on it became increasingly difficult for him to do so.

With their days at school at an end, this summer would be the last time they would all be together as a group before going their separate ways.

Jaune knew that their professions as well as their lives would keep them far too busy to see each other often and recognized that this would be his last chance.

"We're here." Ren said, as he drove the car up to the lone house by the beach.

As they exited the car, they took in the view.

The house was covered by the shade of the trees surrounding it, appearing a little worn down but not too bad.

On the other end, the view of the beach was perfect, from the glistening sands to the crashing waves.

As they stared in awe, the group almost failed to notice the other group that had joined them.

"What took you so long?" Yang asked.

As soon as he heard Yang's voice, Jaune turned to look at her, seeing that Ruby, Blake and Weiss were accompanying them as well.

Jaune smiled as Ruby winked at him, giving him reassurance.

Ruby had been aware of Jaune's feelings for Yang and supported him, completely, after all she was his best friend.

"Hey, Yang." Jaune suddenly blurted out.

Yang turned her attention to her fellow blonde.

"The beach is right there, what are we waiting for?" Jaune asked, excitedly.

"Me." Someone else said.

Jaune turned around to see who it was, almost gasping as he hadn't expected her to be that close behind him.

Stood before him, staring at him, meeting his line of sight, was what looked to be another Yang.

She glared a little, her piercing red eyes and the way she looked at him, intimidating him to the core.

Her dark hair rivaled Blake's, but the face was undoubtedly similar to Yang.

"Yang, you should've mentioned that you had a twin sister." Jaune said, with his tone indicating that he was a bit frightened.

Ruby and Yang held back their laughter, while the other woman placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I like this one, Yang." She said.

Yang was still slightly chuckling when she finally got out her words.

"Jaune, this is my mother, Raven." Yang told him.

Jaune's face went red from embarrassment while Pyrrha, Nora and even Ren all looked embarrassed for him.

"If you think flattering me will get you out of work, think again." Raven said.

Jaune turned to look at Yang, with a questioning look on his face.

"Work?" Jaune asked.

"She didn't tell you?" Raven asked.

"My mom gave us permission to use her beach house, so long as we help around the place and fix up a few things." Yang explained.

"Sounds good to me." Nora said.

"I'd be happy to help." Pyrrha said.

Ren gave a simple nod of his head, pretty much meaning that he had agreed.

"I'm in." Jaune said, with a smile.

* * *

**Later.**

After walking around the place and getting to know their surroundings, the eight of them decided to turn in for the night.

"Two rooms and four of us in each of them, I guess things haven't changed yet have they?" Nora pointed out.

Jaune chuckled a bit, still remembering when they first arrived at their dorm room.

The lack of privacy was an issue at first but over time, everyone seemed find a rhythm.

Looking back on it, Jaune would miss it.

As Jaune got into bed and Pyrrha turned the lights out, he thought about the day as a whole.

He wondered what work he would have to perform once morning had arrived.

He thought about the unexpected surprise of having Raven be present and how it would interfere with his plan to ask Yang out.

Most of all, he simply thought of Yang.

* * *

**Meanwhile.**

Raven was sitting alone in kitchen, taking a sip of her water now and then, as she looked up at the starry blue sky which matched the dark blue of the ocean.

It was as if they were one in the same.

Raven enjoyed these moments of solitude and despite almost always being alone, the moments were few and far between.

Raven heard the sound of the cupboard opening, turning around to see who it was.

Raven smirked as she saw Yang, pulling out a snack.

"You still like to eat in the middle of the night after all this time." Raven said, in amusement.

"There's a few things that haven't changed." Yang said.

Yang took a seat next to Raven, looked out at the same view that Raven had and even had a similar reaction.

It had been peaceful, to say the least.

Yang remembered nights like these, just sitting there, looking out at the night sky, with no worries or concerns, only bliss.

Yang was glad she had finally contacted Raven.

This summer would be a great experience.


	2. The First Day of Work

**W****elcome back, everyone. Thank you for the reception so far, it's been great. After doing some thinking and having a few interactions, I think that this chapter is ready to go. I hope you enjoy.**

_Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of the characters, they are owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Jaune awoke to see the view of the ocean he had from his window.

Jaune could tell it was early in the morning as the sky was beginning to grow brighter but no light was visible yet.

As Jaune let out a yawn, the door to the room creaked open, revealing a tired looking Raven standing there in the hallway.

Raven looked at the group, slightly smirking as she saw that Jaune was the only one that was awake.

"Wake up your friends, tell them that breakfast is in ten minutes." Raven told him.

Jaune nodded his head, and proceeded to get out of bed as Raven shut the door.

It didn't take long to wake them up, since Jaune had woken Nora up first, her voice was basically an alarm, causing everyone else both in the room and the other room to wake up.

Jaune winced, still not used to her shouting after all this time.

"_It's not pleasant, but it works." Jaune thought._

Meanwhile, Raven smiled in amusement as she sipped her fresh tea.

_"Nice wake up call, he's resourceful I'll give him that." Raven thought._

* * *

**Later.**

After everyone had eaten, Raven headed out to the garage, returning a moment later with paint cans in one hand and a rag in the other.

"I did some maintenance on the house before I invited Yang out here, but there's still work that needs to be done." Raven told them.

"The house needs a new paint job, as well as the rails, it shouldn't take too long." Raven said.

With that, the two groups got to work.

While most of them got to work on painting the house, Raven had handed Jaune the rag and told him to clean the rails.

"They need to be wiped down before you paint them, I don't need them rusting over." Raven told him.

Jaune complied, hoping he would do a good job and not get on her bad side.

Of course, he was Jaune Arc, so naturally, that's exactly what he would do.

At first, Jaune was diligent when cleaning, but as time passed, Jaune's gaze had drifted towards Yang.

His pace slowed as he became distracted by her and this had not gone unnoticed by Raven.

_"Interesting, let's see what I can do with this." Raven thought._

Raven stood up, changing her expression to look more intimidating towards the blonde boy.

"Arc!" Raven shouted.

Jaune awoke from his daydreaming, his heart rate going even faster as he heard Raven's voice.

Everyone turned their glances towards Jaune as he immediately went back to work, nervously cleaning as fast as he could.

"Sorry!" Jaune responded, nervously.

Raven held back her chuckling, wondering how the situation would play out as well as what part she would play in it all.

_"This is gonna be fun." Raven thought._

* * *

**That afternoon.**

Jaune wasn't surprised that it had taken them awhile to finish painting, after all, the house was impressively big.

After that first task was done Raven informed them that they were done for the day and that the next task would be for tomorrow morning.

Jaune had wondered why she didn't just have them do as many jobs as possible, since they were already working.

That's when he saw that look in Raven's eyes, that look of enjoyment similar to Yang's when she was on her motorcycle.

_"She wants to draw this out as long as she can." Jaune thought._

As Jaune looked at her, Raven looked back at him, with Jaune not looking away this time.

_"He thinks he can see right through me… in a way, he can." Raven thought._

"Go enjoy yourselves, you've earned it." Raven told them.

As they went back to the house to get changed and grab their gear, Raven stopped Jaune in his tracks.

"You, I wish to have a word with." Raven said.

Jaune sighed as different scenarios played out in his mind, most of them ending with Raven ending him.

"Relax, Arc, you're safe… for now." Raven said.

Raven turned to look out at the ocean, remaining silent for a moment as Jaune awkwardly stood there.

Before Jaune could finally respond, Raven spoke up.

"So, you have feelings for Yang." Raven stated.

Any amount of courage Jaune had once had in the presence of Yang's mother was now completely gone, replaced only by fear and stress.

Raven began to walk away, turning around to look at him still standing there.

_"A nervous wreck, we'll see how you fare in the end though." Raven thought._

"Jaune." Ruby called out to him.

Jaune managed to snap out of it, finding that Ruby, Weiss and Blake were ready to go.

"Are you alright?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking, go on in and don't wait up for me, I'll be right out." Jaune assured them.

Jaune rushed over to the house, trying to hide his expression as the rest of his friends walked out.

"What's up with him?" Nora asked.

Both Pyrrha and Ren shrugged in confusion, not knowing what was going on with him.

As Jaune breathed a sigh of relief, he made his way to the room, forgetting that their was still one person left in the house.

"Hey, Jaune, sorry about my mom, I'm sure she didn't mean to embarrass you." Yang said.

"It's alright." Jaune said.

As Jaune turned around to look at her, he did a double take.

Yang was standing there, already having changed into her swimsuit.

A blush instantly crept onto Jaune's face as Yang smiled at him.

As Jaune muttered incoherent whispers, Yang looked at him, curious about his behavior.

"Jaune?" Yang addressed him.

Jaune rapidly slammed the door, leaving a now confused Yang standing there in the hallway.

Jaune stood there, frozen for just a moment and then, just like that, he fainted.


	3. Parallels

_Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of the characters, they are owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Hours had passed by and as the sun began to set, the group was still having fun in the ocean.

Ren was carrying Nora on his shoulders as they trudged through the water.

Weiss and Pyrrha were resting, laying down in their chairs as Ruby was putting the finishing touches on her sandcastle.

Blake was sitting underneath an umbrella, practically putting all of her attention into reading her book.

As for Yang, she seemed content with just resting on her beach towel, appearing to be relaxing.

For the most part, Yang was able to find partial solace thanks to her surroundings, but despite this, there was still that feeling of worry in the back of her mind.

Earlier, Jaune had been acting weird, at least from her point of view.

After hearing the sudden thud noise from out in the hallway, Yang opened the bedroom door to find an unconscious Jaune on the floor.

Yang quickly picked him up, carried him over and placed him on his bed.

Yang stood there, looking down at him with concern taking over.

"Relax." Raven said.

"Go hang out with your friends, I'll watch over him." Raven assured her.

Yang looked at Raven, skeptically.

As Yang walked out of the room, Raven looked at Jaune, smirking as Jaune slightly moved and whispered Yang's name.

"Hopeless." Raven said.

While she would normally use the word to insult him, this time she had said it out of a form of endearment.

Raven sighed and took a seat on the bed, next to Jaune.

"I know you can't hear me, that's probably why I'm talking to you like this, if I have to be honest." Raven said.

"It's funny, you remind me so much of Tai." Raven said, as she slightly chuckled at the resting blonde.

Raven looked out the window, seeing Yang awkwardly make her way down to the beach.

"She's worried about you." Raven said.

"I apologize ahead of time, because I'm gonna make this summer difficult for you, but consider it a test." Raven told him.

"I'm sure you'll treat Yang right, but if you don't, then between me, Tai, Qrow and Ruby, you won't survive." Raven warned him.

* * *

**Later.**

Jaune awoke with a heavy gasp, trying his hardest to catch his breath.

As his heartbeat grew faster, he rapidly looked around the room, slightly paranoid.

After his moment of panic, Jaune tried to regain his composure, only to flinch as the door suddenly opened.

"Jaune, are you okay?" Pyrrha asked.

Jaune calmed down a little as he heard Pyrrha's voice.

"Yeah, I'm alright." Jaune lied.

Pyrrha sighed, knowing him too well.

"I take it something happened with Yang." Pyrrha stated.

Jaune opened his mouth to deny it but no words made their way out.

Instead , Jaune took a breath and told Pyrrha about what happened.

Pyrrha laughed, remembering how Jaune had first reacted when he saw her in a swimsuit.

"I guess some things never change." Pyrrha said, through her laughter.

"Don't remind me, I still can't live that down." Jaune said.

"Come on, it was cute." Pyrrha told him.

"Maybe to you." Jaune said.

They remained silent for a moment before Jaune decided to speak up again.

"Pyrrha… what did you ever see in me?" Jaune asked her.

Pyrrha didn't even hesitate as she held Jaune closer and looked him right in the eye.

"I saw Jaune Arc." Pyrrha said.

Jaune was taken aback by the simplicity of the answer as well as the answer itself.

He had never understood how Pyrrha could ever be attracted to him or if anyone could be attracted to him for that matter.

"I'm sorry." Jaune said.

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow, confused as to why he apologized.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't feel the same way about you." Jaune told her.

Pyrrha smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"We've been through this before, it's alright." Pyrrha told him.

"I don't mind just being your friend." Pyrrha said.

At that moment, Yang walked in, immediately seeing that the two of them were very close to each other.

"Sorry to interrupt." Yang said, with a smirk.

* * *

**That night.**

Between the fainting and the various thoughts running through his mind, Jaune couldn't get any sleep.

Jaune tossed and turned in his bed, trying to find some comfort in his dreams, only to turn out wide awake.

Jaune glared as he looked up at the ceiling, groaning in defeat as he lifted the blanket up and climbed out of bed.

Jaune made his way to the kitchen, opening up the fridge to get a bottle of water.

"Jaune?" Yang whispered.

Jaune flinched, bumping his head on the shelf.

As Jaune winced from the pain and rubbed the back of his head, he turned around, stopping himself before he opened his eyes.

"_The last time I turned around to look at her, I fainted, so I should probably avoid that." Jaune thought._

_"Then again, I might actually get some sleep if I do." Jaune countered himself._

Jaune opened his eyes to see Yang in her sleepwear, much to his relief.

"You couldn't sleep either?" Yang asked.

"Yeah, it's been a long day, even though I was unconscious for most of it." Jaune joked.

Yang chuckled at his attempt at humor, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

Jaune followed suit and tried his best to stay calm and collected around her.

"Sorry about interrupting your moment with Pyrrha earlier." Yang apologized again.

"It wasn't a moment and nothing was happening." Jaune said, defensively.

"I know, I'm just teasing you." Yang said.

"Still, she's a great girl, I'm surprised that you two never got together." Yang said.

Jaune felt saddened by Yang's words, figuring she didn't even see liking him as a possibility.

"It just wasn't meant to be." Jaune said.

Yang placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Yang asked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Jaune responded, clearly lying.

Yang rolled her eyes at the obvious lie.

"Jaune, come on, you know that's not going to work on me." Yang told him.

"I know." Jaune said.

Jaune stood up, letting Yang's hand fall back as she looked at him, with worry.

"I think I'm gonna try to get some sleep, goodnight Yang, sorry to bother you." Jaune said.

Jaune had just blurted the words out, trying to leave the room as soon as he could.

"Jaune, hold on." Yang said.

Jaune had made it back to the room and locked the door, finding everyone else was still asleep.

"I'm sorry." Jaune whispered.


	4. Distractions

_Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of the characters, they are owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Despite his efforts, Jaune didn't even rest for one moment that night, only giving up at the break of dawn.

Sighing in defeat, he once again climbed out of bed and made his way to the kitchen.

Instead of Yang, this time Jaune was met with a content looking Raven, who was sipping the coffee from her cup.

"I take it that you had a rough night?" Raven asked him.

Jaune didn't answer her question, pouring the already made coffee into his own cup.

Raven raised an eyebrow as Jaune quickly drank down the whole cup within seconds.

_"He's starting to lose his mind." Raven thought._

Jaune finished the coffee, slamming the cup down onto the counter and wiping the remainder off of his lips with his arm.

"What's the job?" Jaune asked.

Jaune looked at her with a stern expression on his face, hoping that Raven would cut her taunting ways for the moment and allow him to get straight to the point.

"Just cleaning up, there's a waste pile nearby, it's basically just the garbage that people leave here and whatever washes up on the beach." Raven explained.

"Alright." Jaune said, before heading for the door.

"Shouldn't you wait for your friends?" Raven asked.

Jaune stopped and looked at Raven with an almost pleading expression.

Despite this, Jaune's attitude didn't change, as he remained determined.

"No, let them rest and relax for the day, I'll handle it on my own." Jaune told her.

Raven looked at him with slight surprise, not expecting it to sound so much like a demand rather than a request.

_"Considerate, foolish, but considerate." Raven thought._

"Very well, I'll tell them after they wake up." Raven said.

With that, Jaune left, going to perform a task which he hoped would distract him enough.

_"I just need to put my focus on something else for now." Jaune thought._

As Jaune walked down along the beach, the crashing of waves slightly comforting him, he wondered whether or not this was the best choice.

The sight of the huge pile of garbage didn't exactly help.

* * *

**Later, that morning.**

As Yang awoke, she was surprised to see the bright shine of the sun, as her mother would've woken her and everyone else up before them.

Yang carefully maneuvered out of her bed in order to not wake anyone else up.

As Yang made her way to the living room, she saw her mother, staring out the window.

"Sorry about sleeping in." Yang apologized.

"It's alright, your friend asked me to let all of you rest." Raven told her.

"Friend?" Yang asked.

"Take a look." Raven said.

Raven moved a way from the window, letting Yang take her place.

Yang looked out the window, not sure of what to look for, until she spotted a figure in the distance.

Yang focused her vision, realizing that it was Jaune, carrying huge pieces of scrap metal.

"It was going to be your job for the day, but he insisted that he do it on his own and let me give you all a day off." Raven told her.

Yang turned to her gaze to Raven, slightly in disbelief that she would even allow that.

"Enjoy your day, I would for his sake, you wouldn't want his good intentions to go to waste." Raven said.

As Raven left the room, Yang's gaze wandered back to Jaune.

As Yang watched Jaune struggle in his endeavor, she had one thought on her mind.

_"Why?" Yang thought._

* * *

**Later.**

Soon enough, everyone had woken up and were informed of what Jaune had done for them.

Nora and Ruby were ecstatic about not having to work, Weiss was relieved that she didn't have to handle what she described as filth, Blake and Ren simply nodded in approval and Pyrrha accepted it, still looking concerned for the blonde.

As the day wore on, the group seemed to enjoy their time, save for Yang, who would glance over at Jaune every few minutes.

_"Should I go over there and help him?" Yang thought._

_"He's only halfway done, it would take the rest of the day for him to finish." Yang thought._

_"But he did want us to have the day to ourselves." Yang countered her own thoughts._

_"I can at least go over there and talk to him." Yang thought._

Yang made her way over to Jaune, who was so preoccupied with his work, he didn't notice that she was there.

Or so she thought.

_"Just keep working, don't be nervous, just focus!" Jaune mentally screamed._

"Jaune?" Yang said, speaking up to get his attention.

Jaune continued to work, but acknowledged her.

"Yes, Yang?" Jaune responded.

Yang went to speak, stopping herself when she realized that she wasn't sure on what to talk about.

Awkward silence took over for a few minutes before Yang blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

"What was wrong with you, last night?" Yang questioned.

Yang instantly regretted speaking, despite actually wanting to know.

"Yang, I told you, nothing is wrong." Jaune lied.

Yang saw right through the lie, taking a page from Raven's book and changing her demeanor.

"Jaune, look at me." Yang basically ordered him.

Jaune sighed and turned around, momentarily forgetting what had happened the last time until it was too late.

Jaune once again saw her in her swimsuit, however, this time he was able to remain calm and more importantly, conscious.

"What's wrong?" Yang asked, once more.

Yang looked at him, staring into his eyes.

Jaune couldn't handle it and as a result, averted his gaze elsewhere to no avail.

Jaune quickly circled around her, awkwardly walking around her and looking down.

"Jaune?" Yang asked.

Jaune did it once more, only realizing something after the fact.

_"Wait, it looks like I'm looking at her." Jaune thought._

Jaune's eyes widened, fearful of a possibility.

_"I hope she doesn't think I'm checking her out." Jaune thought._

Unknown to him, Yang was slightly blushing.

_"Is he checking me out?" Yang thought._


	5. Summer Storm

_Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of the characters, they are owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Two weeks had passed by since the last time Jaune and Yang had even spoken to each other.

In that time Raven had assigned various tasks over the course of the weeks, leading to the work almost being complete.

Jaune had taken on the responsibility of performing the tasks alone, for a couple of the days, in order to give his friends another break.

Most of them appreciated his generosity and were more than happy to accept the offer.

As the week drew to a close, it was becoming clear to Jaune that he was wasting his time.

_"I can try to distract myself all I want, but it doesn't help in the slightest." Jaune thought._

_"I can work hard, but I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere and if I try to relax and interact with Yang, I don't accomplish anything!" Jaune mentally ranted._

_"Still, I need to apologize to her, I can't keep acting this way, it isn't fair to her." Jaune thought._

As Jaune walked down the hall, he went to the living room, taking a seat next to Raven, who was staring out the window.

"You'd better prepare yourselves, the storm is heading in." Raven whispered.

"Storm?" Jaune asked.

"They happen every once in awhile, but I can always count on a summer storm." Raven said.

"Don't worry, I've taken the precautions, the house is protected and the storm will only last until tomorrow." Raven assured him.

Raven leaned in closer, smirking while also giving him a threatening glare.

Jaune was always both amused and afraid of how she could be so intimidating without even trying.

"Make your time count." Raven said.

With those words said, Raven left the room, leaving Jaune to ponder on what she had meant by that.

The sunlight in the room slowly faded away, growing dark as the sky grew cloudier.

Jaune shrugged it off for a moment, only for the loud boom of the thunder to make his heart rate go crazy for a split second.

_"I bet Nora's gonna love this." Jaune thought._

With that thought in mind, it didn't surprise Jaune when Nora came running down the stairs, screaming for joy as she ran for the front door, only to be stopped and carried away by Ren.

Nora pouted, while Jaune and Ren just smiled at her behavior.

Before they could return to their room, the sudden sound of electricity caught their attention.

Not even a second afterwards, all of their light sources went out.

Everyone else exited their rooms not long after, joining them in the living room.

"Relax, the storm just knocked out the power." Raven said.

"It's dark now, but it'll be impossible to see later on, Jaune, go down to the basement and get some candles." Raven said.

Jaune got up to oblige, only to stop and look at her skeptically.

"The door at the end of the hallway." Raven answered his unsaid question.

Jaune nodded and made his way there, carefully trying not to trip.

_"Wait, she said basement, that means that there's… ." Jaune's thoughts trailed off._

As soon as Jaune opened the door, his thoughts were confirmed.

_"Stairs." Jaune finished his thought._

The stairs were old and rickety, and of course, there was no rail.

Jaune sighed, knowing fully well where this was going to lead.

"Let's just get this over with." Jaune said.

Jaune cautiously stepped down, taking each step as carefully and as slowly as he could.

Jaune had made it to the halfway point, when a voice shook his concentration.

"Jaune." Yang called out to him.

Jaune flinched, causing him to lose balance and fall the remainder of the way.

_"Yeah, I pretty much saw that coming." Jaune thought._

Jaune didn't feel very much pain, thankful he had made it to where the fall wasn't so bad.

"Jaune!" Yang shouted, in worry.

Yang rushed down the stairs, forgetting about the structural integrity completely.

Her main concern was focused on Jaune and his well being.

As Yang reach the bottom of the stairs, she watched as Jaune stood up, with his hand at his back.

Yang quickly wrapped her arms around him.

"Are you okay?" Yang whispered.

"Yeah, just a little sore." Jaune told her.

As Yang let go and Jaune stretched out, Jaune saw the candles on a nearby shelf.

"What are you doing down here, anyway?" Jaune asked.

"Raven sent me down to see what was taking so long." Yang explained.

"Sorry about that, I was trying to get down those stairs without falling, evidently I didn't do a very good job." Jaune told her.

"Sorry." Yang apologized.

"Don't be, I should've been more careful." Jaune said.

Jaune grabbed the matches off of the shelf and lit one of the candles.

As the glow of the fire made everything visible to his eyes, Jaune saw Yang, standing there with tears in her eyes.

"Yang, what's wrong?" Jaune asked.

"Nothing, I was just worried, that's all." Yang said, as she wiped her tears away.

Jaune put the candles and matches back onto the shelf and set the already lit one down nearby.

Jaune put his hand on her shoulders, admiring her as he looked into her eyes, the glow of the flames reflected in them.

"I'm sorry, Yang, for everything." Jaune apologized.

"What do you mean?" Yang asked.

"I mean, I haven't exactly been the easiest to be around lately, it's complicated, but even so, I'm sorry." Jaune apologized once more.

Yang slightly smiled and placed her hand on his wrist.

"It's alright." Yang said.

Jaune and Yang stood there for a good moment, almost as if they were content on where they were.

"Hey, if you two are done making out down there, we could use some light!" Raven called out.

Both Jaune and Yang quickly separated, blushing from the embarrassment and the comment Raven had made.

_"Memo to me, when this is over, get back at Raven." Jaune thought._


	6. Sincerity

_Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of the characters, they are owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

The rain poured down harder and harder as the night went on, falling heavily against the windows.

With each flash of lightning and rumble of thunder, the house shook.

To say that it was difficult to get any amount of sleep would be an understatement, but even so, everyone tried, to varying successes.

Nora had managed to immediately fall asleep, to the shock of no one.

Ren had the most self control when it came to these situations and as such, could have himself drift off to sleep in no time.

Blake was jolted awake by the loud volume of the thunder each time it rumbled, but would eventually fall asleep thanks to Weiss and Ruby sleeping close by in their sleeping bags.

Pyrrha was the last to fall asleep, despite her drive to remain awake and talk to Yang on the matter Jaune.

Of course, Jaune and Yang remained awake, staying in the living room, trying to survive the changing temperature.

_"Warm or cool?" Yang questioned._

_"Make up your mind!" Yang mentally shouted._

Jaune was lying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling as he yawned.

"Coffee time." Jaune said.

Jaune turned over and pushed himself up high enough to grab his mug off of the table.

As he took a sip, Jaune tried to keep his eyes open, knowing that if he rested his eyes for even a moment, he would fall asleep.

"Jaune?" Yang said.

Jaune set the mug back down and looked up at Yang, blinking a few times to clear up his vision.

"Yes, Yang?" Jaune asked.

"Why did you want to stay awake?" Yang asked.

"I don't know, stress, maybe so I could have some time to think." Jaune said.

"About?" Yang asked.

"My life." Jaune answered.

Yang didn't say a word, giving Jaune the go ahead to continue talking.

"Do you ever feel like everything is going by so fast and yet it also feels like everything is taking forever?" Jaune asked.

"Not really." Yang answered.

"I figured, you are more of a living in the moment kind of person." Jaune said, with a slight chuckle.

"I'm not gonna deny that." Yang said.

"Yeah, I wish I could be more like that, maybe things wouldn't be so… ." Jaune trailed off.

"So what?" Yang asked.

"Meaningless." Jaune answered.

"Alright, when we get back to the city, I'm taking you out to the club." Yang said.

Jaune didn't say anything.

"Maybe, I could give you a new look, cut your hair, maybe give you a new outfit." Yang suggested.

"No thanks." Jaune answered.

"Why not?" Yang asked.

"I get what you're saying, I'm not exactly a pleasant sight to look at." Jaune said.

_"I didn't mean it like that." Yang thought._

"But, I want to be up front with who I am, I want to be accepted for how I look, not dress up for a day and have people suddenly acknowledge me just because I look presentable." Jaune gave her his honest reason.

"I guess I can understand that, still, it wouldn't hurt to change up your look a bit." Yang said.

Jaune sighed, knowing she had a one track mind, similar to everyone else when the subject was brought up.

Jaune decided to change the subject, not wanting to pile onto his worries any further.

"So, why are you awake?" Jaune asked.

"I'm bored." Yang bluntly answered.

* * *

**Morning.**

Jaune slowly awoke, finding that he had fallen asleep on the couch.

_"I fell asleep anyway, I can't even stay awake for one night!" Jaune mentally berated himself._

Being so focused on his own mistake, it took him a good minute before he realized that he wasn't alone on the couch.

Lying next to him, was Yang, with her arms wrapped around him and her lips dangerously close to his own.

_"Don't freak out!" Jaune thought, while mentally panicking._

"Hey, lovebirds, if you're gonna do stuff like that, keep it in the rooms." Raven teased him.

Jaune blushed, hiding his face in the pillow, unknowingly waking Yang up.

As Yang woke up, she realized where she was and who she was with.

_"Okay, either I get angry or be embarrassed." Yang weighed her options._

"Yang." Jaune said, with his voice full of fear.

_"Pretend to be angry." Yang thought._

"I'll give you a five second head start." Yang said, coldly.

Jaune fell off of the couch and immediately dashed to the front door, closely being followed by Yang.


	7. Over The Top

**Thank you for the reviews, this story has been pretty fun to write and this just makes it all the better.**

_Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of the characters, they are owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Jaune could hear Raven's laughter as he ran out of the house and towards the beach.

Jaune tried his hardest not to trip as he kicked up sand with each rapid step forward.

Yang was not far behind him, chasing after him with a look of deranged malice on her face.

_"I'll just scare him for a little bit." Yang thought._

"Yang, it was a mistake, and besides that, you were on that couch too!" Jaune shouted, as he kept on running.

_"Yeah, just dig yourself deeper, that will fix everything!" Jaune berated himself._

"Slow down, Arc!" Yang shouted.

To Jaune, Yang's words had sounded like a demand, what he didn't know, was that they were a warning.

As Jaune turned his head away from looking at Yang, he gasped as he finally realized what she had meant.

In his fear, Jaune was so distracted that he hadn't realized that Yang had chased him off of the beach and into the coastal forest area.

Having his focus back on his current surroundings, Jaune used his strength to stop himself, tripping as he came to an abrupt stop.

"Jaune!" Yang called out to him.

Yang rushed over to him and helped him up, smirking a bit as she saw a bit of fear was still in his eyes.

_"That was fun." Yang thought._

It only took a second for Yang to start questioning what she was finding enjoyment from.

_"Maybe I'm more like Raven than I thought." Yang thought._

From the look on his face, Yang realized that she was teasing Jaune similarly to how Raven was teasing him.

The strange part was, while she didn't necessarily enjoy it, Yang had always liked seeing Jaune be so flustered or intimidated.

"Relax, I was just messing with you." Yang assured him.

"Yeah, I'm still sorry though, if I had just stayed awake like I said I would, we wouldn't have ended up like that." Jaune told her.

Yang looked at him and smiled while she wrapped her arms around him and leaned in closer.

"Are you sure about that?" Yang whispered.

Jaune started blushing, trying to look away.

"Was it that bad?" Yang asked.

"No, not at all!" Jaune blurted out.

"Good, because I thought that you were pretty comfortable." Yang said.

Jaune's eyes were shut, trying to resist looking at the blonde woman.

"It's a shame that I wasn't awake that long, if I had been I probably would've gotten to enjoy it." Yang said.

Jaune's will finally broke, as he opened his eyes, only to find that Yang was just standing there with a content look on her face.

Yang immediately broke out into laughter, causing Jaune to blush harder but groan as a reaction of disappointment and slight annoyance.

"That's it, I'm heading back to the house." Jaune said, clearly sounding a little mad.

"Oh come on, I was just teasing you a little bit more, no harm done." Yang said.

Jaune sighed before Yang leaned against him, using his shoulder to rest her elbow.

"I haven't taken the time to check this place out yet, come on, let's look around." Yang said.

_"Why even resist, you know she's just going to drag you along anyway." Jaune thought._

As Yang started walking down a path of running water, Jaune soon joined up with her.

_"Then again, that's always been one of the things I've liked about her." Jaune thought._

* * *

**Later.**

Time seemed to have gotten away from them, as they saw the sun set when they returned to the house.

"Do you think Raven will be mad that we just took off?" Jaune asked.

"No, judging from the look of things she didn't leave the house after the storm passed." Yang said.

As they opened the door, they surprised to find Ruby, standing there waiting for them, looking at them sternly.

"Jaune, can I talk with you… privately?" Ruby asked.

"Sure." Jaune said, worriedly.

Yang got the message and joined everyone else in the living room as Jaune and Ruby went to one of the bedrooms.

As Ruby shut the door, she looked at Jaune, losing the serious look on her face in favor of a mischievous one.

"I overheard what happened this morning." Ruby said.

"I saw her chase you out and decided to follow you two." Ruby continued.

"So let me ask, what's this about a couch and you being comfortable?" Ruby questioned.

Jaune instantly went into a panicked reaction, leaping off of the bed he was sitting on and stood close to Ruby.

"I swear it's nowhere near as bad as it sounds, we just fell asleep!" Jaune shouted.

"I know." Ruby said.

"What?" Jaune uttered, as his mind went blank for a moment.

"I know nothing happened." Ruby said, through her giggling.

Jaune's eye twitched from frustration.

_"I swear, between Yang, Raven and Ruby I'm not gonna survive." Jaune thought._

"Still, from the way you two acted when you were alone… I can tell that she likes you." Ruby said.

"She was just teasing me." Jaune said.

"I've seen how Yang acts, she treats you differently." Ruby said.

"I know that you like her, but you only have so much time." Ruby reminded him.

Jaune looked to the floor as Ruby placed a hand on his shoulder for comfort.

"Don't worry, leave it to me." Ruby said.

As Ruby ran out of the room, Jaune realized what she had said.

"Wait, Ruby, what did you mean by that?!" Jaune shouted.


	8. Potential Date

_Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of the characters, they are owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Jaune was relieved to find that Ruby was mostly just messing with him.

After Ruby had told him how she would be supporting them, the only thing she insisted upon, was making a move.

While Jaune was the nervous wreck on the outside that he usually was, mentally, he agreed.

The next day wouldn't exactly help his situation, as everyone basically had to clean up both the house and the surrounding area after what the storm had brought.

In hindsight, Jaune saw this coming but was thankful that Raven had given them the day before to make sure that the storm had actually subsided.

Despite this, Jaune's mind lingered on the subject of time passing by.

Each time he lifted more fallen branches or whatever else the storm had left behind, he felt like he was wasting precious time.

_"There's just no in between." Jaune thought._

Jaune sighed, only knowing how much time wore on by the amount of sunlight, which eventually grew too little as it started to set.

_"There goes another day." Jaune thought, sadly._

The night went on as usual, everyone returning to inside the house to have dinner and then heading for their rooms in order to sleep.

"Just ask him." Ruby whispered.

"Why can't you go?" Yang asked.

"Because I promised Nora that we would have a sandcastle building contest." Ruby reminded her.

"What about you two?" Yang asked, Blake and Weiss.

Blake simply lifted up her book as a response.

"I prefer not to get involved with such frivolous activities." Weiss said.

"Weren't you the one who helped me plan the school dance?" Yang asked, rhetorically.

"Yes, but there's a difference between a dignified social engagement and a celebration of nonsense, surrounded by con artists." Weiss explained.

Yang sighed, gripping the tickets in her hands.

"Fine." Yang said, in disappointment.

As Yang walked down the hallway, Ruby, Blake and Weiss smiled.

"Thanks, you two." Ruby said.

"No problem." Blake said.

"Don't thank us yet, Jaune still has to say yes and the two of them still need to go out." Weiss told Ruby.

"I'm not worried, I've seen what they're like when they're on their own, it'll be fine." Ruby said.

Weiss raised an eyebrow in curiousness.

"Do I want to know?" Weiss asked.

"It's for the best that you don't." Ruby said.

While Ruby and Weiss continued to talk, Yang waited outside for Jaune to enter the other room.

As Jaune returned he was surprised to see Yang standing there.

"Yang, what's up?" Jaune asked.

"Well, I got these tickets the other day, it's for this local summer carnival the nearby town is doing." Yang told him.

"That sounds like fun, who are you taking?" Jaune asked.

"Well, it sounds like nobody else wants to go, so I was wondering if you wanted to." Yang told him.

_"Alright, don't be nervous, just tell her yes." Jaune thought._

"Sure, it's a date." Jaune said, quickly.

Jaune opened the door and as he walked in and shut it, only then did he realize what he'd just said.

_"Wait, what?!" Jaune thought._

Meanwhile, Yang was blushing from not only his words, but how nonchalant he was about it, like it was a normal occurrence.

_"Wait, what?!" Yang thought._

* * *

**Three days later.**

"So, are you ready?" Yang asked.

"Yeah." Jaune said.

"Have fun on your date." Raven teased the two of them.

"It's not a date." Yang said.

"I'm pretty sure it is, after all that's what you called it, right Jaune?" Raven pointed out.

Yang was speechless while Jaune was almost used to Raven at this point.

"Do you have nothing better to do than to spy on us all the time?" Jaune questioned.

"Are you kidding?" Raven asked.

"You two are my new form of entertainment." Raven said, with a smirk.

"Well, I'm so happy that we amuse you." Jaune said, sarcastically.

"Don't think too much of it, you did this to yourself, you're a mess." Raven told him.

Jaune went to retort but said nothing, it was hard to disagree.

"Although, from what I hear, you are comfortable." Raven said, smirking once more.

Yang hid her face behind her hair out of embarrassment while Jaune turned his glance to Ruby.

"Don't look at me, I didn't say anything." Ruby told him.

"Okay, let's get out of here." Jaune said, in slight panic.

Jaune and Yang quickly left, leaving everyone else aside from Ruby and Raven in confusion.

"How did you know about that?" Ruby asked.

"You weren't the only one who followed them out there that morning." Raven said.

"What are you two talking about?" Weiss asked.

Ruby and Raven looked at each other, smiling deviously as they did so.

"I take it back, you should know." Ruby said.

"You're gonna love this one." Raven told Weiss.

* * *

**Later.**

It took a bit of time for Jaune and Yang to get to town, since it was a little out of the way.

"Why did Raven have to move so far out?" Jaune questioned.

"She's more of a survivor, she's not exactly a people person." Yang said.

"Shocker." Jaune joked.

"She basically goes into town, grabs all the food and supplies she needs, then leaves." Yang told him.

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Jaune said.

"Still, I'm sorry she embarrassed us like that." Yang apologized.

"Don't be sorry, it's been like this for awhile, I'm kind of used to her by now." Jaune said.

"Yeah, it actually is kind of funny, like we would ever go on a date." Yang said.

Jaune's expression changed for just a moment, before going into an awkward chuckle to disguise his disappointment.

This didn't go unnoticed by Yang.

_"He said that the other day that this was a date, but I thought he was just using an expression… did he actually want this to be a date?" Yang wondered._

"Hey, look, we're almost there." Jaune said.

Yang turned to look, seeing the carnival in the distance.

_"Either way, it doesn't make a difference, but if he meant it, if it's a date he wants, well then, it's a date he's gonna get." Yang thought._


	9. Wishful Thinking

_Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of the characters, they are owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

It seemed like they had gotten to the carnival just in time, as everything seemed to be in full swing.

From the look of things, it appeared that almost everyone in town had shown up.

From left to right, from the streets, all the way down to the pier, it was a sight to behold.

"Come on, let's go!" Yang exclaimed.

Yang grabbed Jaune by his arm and guided him along through the crowd, smiling and moving energetically.

"Hold on!" Jaune yelled, to no avail.

_"I haven't seen her be this ecstatic in awhile." Jaune thought._

Yang immediately rushed towards the giant drop attraction, the two of them hearing people scream in amusement as the cart came rushing downwards.

_"Of course she'd pick this one first, she's still the thrill seeker after all." Jaune thought._

Jaune gulped from nervousness as he stared up at how high the structure was.

"Hey, Yang, I know we just got here, but do you mind if I sit this one out?" Jaune asked.

"What for?" Yang asked.

"I thought you said that this was a date." Yang teased him.

Jaune flinched for a moment, blushing before deciding to try and play along.

"Yes, I did and as your date I have two words that might interest you." Jaune said.

Yang leaned closer, listening in, out of curiosity.

"Motion sickness." Jaune said.

Yang shuddered at the mere mention of Jaune's condition, knowing fully well what he was capable of.

_"My poor shoes." Yang thought, as she remembered what happened when they first met._

"On second thought, I hear that it's better if you go on alone, why don't you just grab us some food?" Yang suggested.

"Sounds like a plan." Jaune agreed.

As Yang got in the line, waiting for her turn, Jaune bought a couple tubs of popcorn.

_"It's not heavy so hopefully it should help with the other rides." Jaune thought._

Jaune looked up at the attraction, seeing that Yang had already gotten on and was set in the cart at the very top.

Jaune looked on in horror from just the sight of it.

As the cart rushed down, he swore that he could see Yang laughing and cheering.

Jaune cracked a smile, saving the image for his memory.

Yang exited the ride and joined Jaune, the expression on his face making her curious.

"You haven't even done anything and you're already smiling, what gives?" Yang questioned.

"True, but I saw how you were on the ride, I'm just glad you're enjoying yourself so far." Jaune said.

Yang hid her blush, keeping a smirk on her face to appear like she was composed.

"Whatever, come on, let's find something you can actually handle." Yang taunted him.

From there on, things seemed to go pretty much along the lines of what Jaune had expected.

There were plenty of booths and rides to keep them occupied, Jaune had even managed to win a few games and of course, win Yang a couple of prizes.

_"It's corny but as far as stereotypical dates go, this one is actually nice." Yang thought._

"What's that?" Jaune asked.

Yang looked over to where he was pointing, seeing people throwing stuff off of the pier and into the ocean.

"It's tradition." A woman spoke up.

"It's a little like a wishing well, you throw a token in and make a wish." The woman explained.

Jaune looked down at the tokens held in his hand.

"Well then, if it's a tradition." Jaune said, with a smile.

Jaune made his way to the very end of the pier and closed his eyes.

_"I wish I could finally have the courage to tell Yang how I really feel and get the chance to do it." Jaune wished._

The sound of the coin rang out in his ears as he flung it off from his thumb.

Jaune watched as it descended down and landed into the water.

Jaune's smile remained as he walked back to Yang.

"So, which one do you want to try next?" Jaune asked.

Yang pointed towards the Ferris wheel and the two of them made their way through the crowd.

"So, what did you wish for?" Yang asked.

* * *

**Meanwhile.**

"So, we're basically all in agreement that we're gonna set up Jaune and Yang, right?" Ruby asked.

"Agreed." Everyone aside from Blake said.

Blake merely nodded, due to lack of interest.

Despite her choices in literature and the fact that she would normally help her friends in any way that she could, she also felt that it wasn't her place to interfere and wanted to opt for things to take their course in their own time.

However, she knew that if Ruby had a plan, there was no getting out of it or refusing.

"Alright, now the first thing we have to do is… ." Ruby trailed off as a knock on the door interrupted her.

"I'll get it." Weiss said.

As Weiss left the room, Raven wondered who it could possibly be.

"I barely get any visitors and I didn't have any deliveries scheduled." Raven thought.

Weiss returned to the room.

"Miss Branwen, there's someone here to see you." Weiss told her.

Raven got up from her seat and made her way to the front door, which was open.

Raven slightly gasped in surprise, as stood in the doorway, was her former husband.

"Tai?" Raven said.

"Hello, Raven." Taiyang said.


	10. Wanting While Waiting

_Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of the characters, they are owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Raven and Taiyang stood there, staring at each other, not sure what to say or do.

Tai decided to make the first move and walk inside, looking around the house.

"Please, come in and make yourself at home." Raven said, sarcastically.

"Relax, I'm not staying for too long, I just stopped by to see how the girls were doing." Tai explained.

"They're fine." Raven said, coldly.

_"He still doesn't trust me." Raven thought._

_"To be fair, you did walk out on him and Yang." Raven mentally reminded herself._

"I'm sure they are, but I'd still like to see them." Tai said.

Raven glared at him for a moment, not appreciating his tone.

"Ruby." Raven called out.

As Ruby walked into the room, her eyes lit up with joy upon seeing her father.

She immediately ran forward and hugged him.

"What are you doing here?!" Ruby asked, excitedly.

"I just came to check up on the two of you, I know Raven's been having you work around here." Tai said.

"Yeah, but it's alright, it's nothing we can't handle, besides, the beach makes it all worth it." Ruby told him.

"I can see why, I caught a glimpse on my way up here." Tai said.

Tai then noticed a certain someone wasn't there.

"Ruby, where's Yang?" Tai asked.

Ruby hesitated before turning to look at him, with a smirk on her face.

"She's on her date." Ruby answered him.

Raven covered her mouth, trying to mask her laughter.

Tai's right eye started twitching, his mind in denial of the situation while also trying to comprehend it at the same time.

"What?" Tai said.

_"This just keeps getting better and better." Raven thought, in amusement._

* * *

**Meanwhile.**

Jaune and Yang seemed to be having an even better time as the night went on, eventually leading them trying out every attraction that they could… with one exception.

"This might be a date, but there is no way we're doing something that cliché." Yang said.

"I'm with you on this one." Jaune lied.

They were of course talking about the tunnel of love.

_"So much for that." Jaune thought._

"So, what's left?" Jaune asked.

"Just one thing left to do." Yang said.

Yang pulled Jaune towards a small booth towards the front of the carnival.

"Pictures, to remember the occasion." Yang said.

As Jaune and Yang entered the booth, Yang posed for the camera while Jaune just stared awkwardly.

The flash of the camera surprised him, causing him to flinch and lean over, using Yang as support.

Yang just rolled with it, turning away from him so that it appeared that they were back to back.

Yang wrapped her arms around him for the third picture and for the fourth, she surprised him by leaning in closer, making it appear as if they were about to kiss.

Jaune sat there, Yang leaving him astonished as she left the booth.

As Jaune walked out, he saw Yang looking at the photos.

"These are great." Yang exclaimed.

"I can't wait to show these to everyone else." Yang said.

Yang slipped the photos into her pocket and took Jaune by the hand.

"Come on, let's head back to the house." Yang said.

* * *

**Back at the house.**

"Come on, it's just Jaune, you've met him, he's nice." Ruby tried to reason with Tai.

"So was Raven." Tai said.

Raven glared at him again, taking slight offense to his comment.

"I highly doubt Jaune would ever leave Yang like that." Ruby said.

"Yeah, she'd probably be the one to leave him." Raven added.

"Thank you for the help?" Ruby said, in confusion.

"You're welcome." Raven said, smugly.

"The point is, I don't think you have anything to worry about." Ruby told him.

"I know, but I should still talk to him." Tai said.

"Tai." Raven said.

"Hey, if he can handle dealing with you for this long, he can handle having one conversation with me." Tai said.

* * *

**Later.**

Ruby and the rest of the group, had retired to their rooms for the night, leaving Raven and Tai to talk amongst themselves.

Most of their conversation had been focused on Yang, followed by long periods of silence, then going back to talking about their past.

It had been a back and forth between the two until finally the front door opened.

Jaune and Yang had entered as quietly as they could, trying not to wake up their friends.

As they closed the door, Yang wasn't surprised to see Raven still awake.

However, the person sitting across from her, now that came as a shock to Yang.

"Surprise." Tai whispered.

Similar to Ruby, Yang immediately hugged Tai.

While Yang and Tai happily talked away, Jaune stood there, feeling like he was being stared down.

It was quick, but Jaune could swear that Yang's father was glaring at him every chance he got.

* * *

**An hour later.**

Eventually, exhaustion had caught up with both Yang and Raven.

Yang thanked Jaune for their day at the carnival, while Raven wished him good luck.

Finally, it was just Jaune, staring out at the sea, looking at the horizon from the balcony.

Tai opened the door and stood next to Jaune.

Jaune sighed, fully expecting this by now.

"Let me guess, they told you about Yang and I?" Jaune questioned.

"Yeah." Tai answered.

Jaune didn't say anything, simply keeping his gaze focused on the ocean.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to threaten you." Tai told him.

"That's a relief." Jaune said.

"So, how long have you two been dating?" Tai asked.

"We're not." Jaune said.

Tai looked at him, in surprise.

"I haven't told her how I feel yet, she just called this a date just for fun." Jaune told him.

"Oh." Tai said, not entirely sure on how to respond.

Tai patted him on the back and then went for the door.

"If it's any consolation, I approve." Tai told him.

"Thank you, sir." Jaune said.

As Jaune heard the door close behind him, he wondered whether or not his chance would ever come.


	11. The Day

**Thank you all for the continued support, those reviews meant a lot to me and I really appreciate it.**

_Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of the characters, they are owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

The morning had arrived all too soon from Jaune's point of view, as he was hesitant about what he had planned.

_"Why is it that when you need to get through something quickly, time slows down almost to a halt, but when you're just enjoying the moments, time decides to just rush by?" Jaune questioned._

Jaune yawned and stretched his arms out, trying to keep his eyes open as he did so.

Jaune hadn't slept for even a minute after last night, with a combination of stress and worry keeping him awake for the first few hours, eventually leading him to just calmly ponder his situation.

Ruby opened the door and peered inside, unsure of what to tell Jaune.

"Jaune, are you awake?" Ruby whispered.

"Yeah, come on in." Jaune answered, as quietly as he could.

As Ruby walked in, she saw the exhaustion which was apparent in Jaune's expression.

"I take it that you couldn't sleep?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, don't worry, it happens." Jaune said, trying to sound as nonchalant about it as he could.

"You and I both know that I'm not buying that." Ruby said, sternly.

"Yeah, I know." Jaune said.

Ruby wasn't sure on how to proceed or even how to properly address his problem.

Instead, she decided to ask him about something else.

"So, how was your date last night?" Ruby said, with a smile.

Jaune sighed and stood up from his bed.

"It wasn't really a date, at least, not to her." Jaune told Ruby.

"Oh." Ruby responded.

"Yeah, but we still had a lot of fun and I actually had a really good time." Jaune said.

"So much so that… I'm gonna tell her how I feel, tonight." Jaune said.

"Jaune, that's great!" Ruby exclaimed.

Ruby immediately sprung forward, bringing him into an embrace.

_"This is perfect, I just hope Jaune can do it." Ruby thought._

"Hey, Ruby come on, we've gotta start work soon." Yang said, as she walked down the hallway.

As Yang stood there in the doorway and saw the current scene between Ruby and Jaune, she smirked.

"Well, it looks like I've got some competition." Yang said.

Ruby and Jaune immediately separated, from embarrassment.

"You know Ruby, if you wanted him all to yourself, you could've just asked." Yang teased her.

"I do not, I would never want Jaune like that!" Ruby exclaimed, as a blush crept onto her face.

Ruby realized what she had said and turned to look at him.

"No offense." Ruby apologized.

"None taken." Jaune said.

"Well, either way, you two had better hurry, breakfast is on the table and my dad made pancakes so with Nora around they'll probably be gone in the next five seconds." Yang told them.

Ruby rushed out of the room, while walked with Yang.

"Hey, Yang." Jaune said.

"Yeah?" Yang said.

"I had a lot of fun last night." Jaune said.

"Same here." Yang said.

"Well, I was wondering, maybe we could hang out again tonight?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah, sure, I'll go ask the others if they're free." Yang told him.

"Actually, I was thinking that it could be just the two of us, if that's alright." Jaune told her.

"Oh, I see, you want another date." Yang said.

Jaune looked dejected for just a moment as the word date had left her mouth.

Jaune knew that she didn't really mean it as an actual date, just from her tone alone.

Still, she seemed sold on the idea and he definitely wasn't going to say no to her.

"Yeah." Jaune answered, simply.

"Well, you're in luck, today's our last work day and I planned on celebrating anyway, so you can tag along if you want." Yang said.

"Yeah… that sounds great." Jaune said, trying to hide his disappointment.

* * *

**Later.**

"So, I heard you're going to confess to Yang." Raven said.

"Seriously, do you have cameras set up everywhere or something?" Jaune complained.

"Be aware of your surroundings, you'll thank me later." Raven said.

_"A vague answer, what a surprise." Jaune thought, sarcastically._

Raven looked over at the rest of the group, seeing Yang with a look of genuine excitement on her face.

"This might be your last chance." Raven said.

"I know." Jaune said.

For the first time in awhile, Jaune didn't feel either fear or even the drive to be seen as good enough for Raven's standards.

All that he felt was understanding.

"Raven." Jaune said.

Jaune looked at her, staring into her eyes without any hesitation.

"Thank you." Jaune said.

Raven was taken aback by his sudden change in attitude and his kind words.

Jaune smiled at her and went to join the rest of the group, leaving Raven a bit dumbfounded.

"I haven't seen that expression on your face in a long time." Tai said.

"He's a good man." Raven said.

_"I only hope that Yang can see that." Raven thought._


	12. Confession

_Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of the characters, they are owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

This was it, this was what may be Jaune's last chance and Jaune wasn't going to step back and waste it.

As daylight slowly faded away, giving way to the night, Jaune tried to calm his nerves.

_"This is it, it's now or never." Jaune thought._

Jaune took a deep breath as he looked at himself in the mirror, something he was not a fan of doing.

_"I never look right." Jaune thought, as he examined his face from his reflection._

"Hey, are you ready?" Yang asked, as she entered the room.

"Yeah, but where are we going?" Jaune asked.

"We're just going down to this club I heard about when we were at the carnival." Yang told him.

As Jaune and Yang left the house and walked out the door, Jaune turned and looked at the cars parked nearby.

"Yang, remind me, why aren't we taking the cars again?" Jaune questioned.

"Oh… yeah, the thing about that is, they may have been empty for most of the summer and I keep forgetting to refuel them." Yang confessed, awkwardly.

_"Suddenly, I feel a lot more confident right about now." Jaune thought._

Jaune smirked, trying to hold back his laughter, causing Yang to sneer at him.

"Give me a break, we've been relaxing on a beach and we've barely been using them at all." Yang said.

"Yeah, but you know we are going to leave at some point." Jaune pointed out.

"Maybe you are, but I wouldn't mind staying." Yang said.

"Wait, what?" Jaune said, sounding slightly panicked.

"Relax, it was just a thought." Yang said.

Jaune breathed a sigh of relief, not noticing the blonde had a slight frown on her face.

_"A thought that might actually come true." Yang thought._

"Come on, we should run, the sooner we get there, the sooner we can relax." Yang said.

"With you around, I don't think relaxation is an option." Jaune teased her.

* * *

**Later.**

The club was small but sleek in its design, leaving most of the people either on the dance floor or sitting in small booths.

_"So much for having a private moment." Jaune thought._

Jaune and Yang took their seats, watching and listening as the band continued to play.

"Not bad." Jaune said.

"Yeah, they're not as good as you on guitar though." Yang said, sarcastically.

"Funny." Jaune said, in a deadpan tone.

"If I remember correctly, didn't you try to form a band?" Jaune said, turning her teasing around on her.

As their waiter left drinks on the table, Yang squinted her eyes, looking right at him intensely.

"Well played." Yang said, before picking her glass up and taking a sip of her drink.

Jaune stared down at his drink and twiddled his thumbs, as he delicately spoke up.

"Yang, what did you mean when you said that you wouldn't mind staying?" Jaune asked.

Yang sighed, wishing that she could've been able to avoid this conversation until the summer had come to an end.

"I've been thinking it over and I've decided to stay here." Yang told him.

"What?" Jaune said, in surprise.

"Just for awhile, I plan on traveling but Raven offered for me to stay with her while I get up on my feet." Yang explained.

"Oh." Jaune responded.

Jaune had known Yang would be on the road, it was definitely her environment and Jaune had admired that about her as well.

Yet, this news of her leaving them behind immediately, presented a stress in him that was much stronger than before.

"Are you okay?" Yang asked.

"Yeah, sorry, I just spaced out there for a second." Jaune lied.

"That's great." Jaune said.

"Yeah, don't worry though, I'll visit all of you, I don't think I'll have too much fun without everyone there." Yang told him.

Jaune chuckled, awkwardly averting his gaze slightly downward.

_"It's now or never." Jaune reminded himself again._

* * *

**After the club had closed.**

As everyone else drove off into the night and the lights of the town dimmed down to only a few streetlights, Jaune and Yang walked away, beginning their trek home.

"Hey, Jaune?" Yang said.

"Yeah?" Jaune responded.

"Do you ever wish you could go back to the beginning and do it all over again?" Yang asked.

The one question that Jaune had asked himself constantly.

It was true, there were moments Jaune wished he could've done differently or avoided and there were moments that he wished he could relive, but in the end, if he could go back, he might not be where he is now or be the person that he is.

"No… I don't think so." Jaune said, looking and sounding content as the words were spoken.

"Do you?" Jaune asked.

"Maybe." Yang simply responded.

Neither one of them would say another word until they saw the house.

"Home sweet home." Yang said.

_"Alright, it's the last chance, here I go." Jaune thought._

"Yang." Jaune said.

Yang turned her attention to him, not surprised to see him standing there awkwardly, with his hair covering his eyes.

"I… I like you." Jaune said.

"I realize that after this summer ends, we're going to different places, but I couldn't go on not letting you know how I feel about you." Jaune finally confessed.

A moment of silence followed, as Yang stood there, looking at Jaune.

_"He feels the same way… but that wouldn't be fair to him." Yang thought._

Yang walked towards him, holding him by the hands.

Yang leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

At first, Jaune was overjoyed at the sudden display of affection.

However, that soon faded away as Jaune saw the sad expression on Yang's face.

"Jaune… I'm sorry." Yang said.


	13. From Frustration to Contemplation

_Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of the characters, they are owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

The remainder of their time at Raven's beach house had passed by seemingly fast and before they knew it, it was almost time to go home.

The days leading up to their departure had a different atmosphere all together.

After the night Jaune and Yang had returned, the only way you could describe the overall feeling, would be dreadful.

Everyone else seemed to have similar thoughts on the matter, feeling sorry for Jaune and understanding why Yang had made her choice.

Ruby had been a little less understanding when Yang revealed that she would be staying with Raven.

It didn't exactly help when Yang had basically kept it a secret until the day before they had to leave.

"My bad." Yang said.

"Yang, how could you not tell us?!" Ruby questioned.

"Look, I'm sorry, I just didn't know how to bring it up and even then, it took me awhile to make this decision." Yang told them.

Ruby still looked at Yang with a crestfallen expression on her face.

"What do you two think?" Yang asked, Weiss and Blake.

"We were going our separate ways anyway, I don't see the problem." Weiss said.

Blake didn't respond for a moment, simply looking towards Ruby and then back at Yang.

Blake, to the surprise of everyone, hugged Yang.

"Good luck." Blake whispered.

Unbeknownst to anyone there Blake had managed to get a well paying internship and was planning on asking Weiss and Yang to move in with her.

After hearing this news Yang had presented to them, that decision had quickly changed.

Everyone else's happiness and well being came first and if this what Yang wanted to do, Blake wouldn't stop her.

Ruby was still pouting but in the playful way, so Yang basically knew Ruby would be okay.

* * *

**Meanwhile.**

Frustrations had taken their toll on Jaune.

While he couldn't say that he was angry, far from it in fact, he couldn't say that he was okay either.

At the time, Jaune couldn't figure out what was wrong, he saw Yang turning him down as a possibility, he basically downright expected it as the most likely scenario.

He respected Yang's decision and was thankful that she let him down gently and was still supportive.

While he didn't think he could move on he also knew that eventually he would.

_"So what's the problem?" Jaune questioned._

The only conclusion Jaune could come up with was heartbreak.

The moment that word came to mind, Jaune laughed sadly at how over the top that word had become and yet how it perfectly described his feeling.

As Jaune stared at the ocean, looking out to the horizon, he realized how in such a short amount of time, everything had changed.

_"Where did the time go?" Jaune thought._

Jaune thought back on when they first arrived, how hopeful and nervous he was.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha called out.

Jaune turned around, seeing Pyrrha walking towards him.

"Are you okay?" Pyrrha asked.

Jaune didn't answer, turning his gaze back towards the ocean.

_"Am I?" Jaune wondered._

Jaune had no idea.

"Pyrrha, did I make a mistake?" Jaune asked.

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.

Jaune thought about Yang's question from the other day, how she had asked him whether or not he would go back and do it all over again.

"I mean, should I have confessed earlier, when we first got here or even before that?" Jaune asked.

"Should I have waited?" Jaune asked.

"Should I have just kept my mouth shut?" Jaune asked.

"I don't know Jaune, I don't know what her reaction would be or whether or not it would have changed anything." Pyrrha said.

Jaune looked down, feeling and looking defeated.

"I do know that once we're home, you'll figure things out." Pyrrha told him.

"How do you know?" Jaune asked.

Pyrrha smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"You always do." Pyrrha whispered.

* * *

**The next day.**

The cars had been refueled and loaded up.

The goodbyes had been said, mostly.

Jaune approached Yang for the first time since he confessed.

"Jaune." Yang said, in surprise.

Jaune cracked a small smile.

"See you later, Yang." Jaune said.

Jaune patted her on the shoulder and then placed his hands in his pockets as he walked away.

As Jaune walked, he passed by Raven, who was smirking at him.

Jaune returned the gesture.

_"I owe her one." Jaune thought._

Jaune got in the car and with that, they drove off.

It didn't take long for Jaune to start daydreaming, his thoughts being his usual comfort when he was in a vehicle.

As the hours passed on, Jaune was surprised to see Pyrrha preparing to leave.

_"I guess I was thinking longer than I thought." Jaune thought._

Pyrrha smiled and placed her hand on his hand.

"Like I said, you'll figure things out, but if you ever need any help, you know where to find me." Pyrrha told him.

With that, Pyrrha got out of the car and returned to her house.

Jaune only lived a few blocks away so it didn't take long before the car had come to a stop again.

"I'll miss you." Nora said.

Nora reached around her seat and attempted to hug him, to which Jaune leaned forward and made it partially work.

Jaune looked at Ren who simply nodded and said farewell.

_"He's always a man of few words." Jaune thought, in amusement._

As Jaune exited the car and watched them drive off, waving goodbye as the car went off into the distance, he realized that it was all done.

Jaune looked around, the sight of his small neighborhood bringing a sense of comfort to him.

The houses surrounding him, the glow of the streetlights and soft sounds of the city in the distance.

He was home.


	14. Worth The Wait

**Welcome. Well this is it, the last chapter and I felt that it would only be appropriate to save it for around the end of summer, like so. I'd like to thank every one of you for reading, I wish you a good day and I hope you enjoy.**

_Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of the characters, they are owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

It's funny how a decade can pass by so slowly and yet be over in what seems like an instant.

For Jaune, these feelings came to mind as he drove down that long and familiar road.

Ten years had passed since that day when he and his old, friends had taken that trip down to that beach house.

Unfortunately, about two years after they had left, Raven had decided to relinquish the property and opted to move back in with Tai, thus leading to the house being demolished.

Needless to say, when Jaune had heard about this, he was both laughing and gripping his phone in slight frustration.

_"I spent the summer helping to fix up that house and then this happens!" Jaune thought, in his frustration._

Jaune sighed, not remaining angry for long since it did provide Yang a chance to get to know Raven better for a little while and for Raven to patch things up with Tai.

Jaune remembered that day and remembered his hope that things would remain better for their family.

As more time passed, Jaune had made his way into town, pulling up to the local club that was still there.

Jaune took a deep breath as he tried to calm his nerves.

_"Okay, it's only been ten years since you've seen most of them, besides, you see Blake and Weiss almost every day, they'll help you out." Jaune tried to convince himself._

As Jaune exited his car, he was surprised to immediately be hugged, from out of nowhere.

Jaune looked down, seeing a woman he knew all too well.

"Hey, Ruby." Jaune said.

"What took you so long?" Ruby asked.

Jaune simply laughed and returned the gesture.

"Where is everyone?" Jaune asked.

"They're already inside, they're waiting for us." Ruby told him.

"Well then, let's not keep them waiting any longer." Jaune said.

Jaune opened the door for Ruby, letting her go in first.

Within seconds of Jaune entering the club and closing the door behind him, he was met by another embrace, this time the gesture simply being an arm around him in a tight grip.

"Long time, no see, Arc." Raven whispered.

Jaune instantly broke away from her grasp, leaving Raven a bit stunned.

"I've been practicing." Jaune said.

Raven smirked, slightly bowing her head in respect.

"It's good to see you, Raven." Jaune said.

"Always a pleasure, Arc." Raven said.

Jaune, of course, waved hello to Blake and Weiss, slightly chuckling at the fact that it wasn't exactly a reunion between him and the two of them.

Pyrrha had surprised him the most with her career, after seeing her on countless billboards and magazines, he was surprised she had found the time to make it here.

Nora and Ren were the same as he remembered them, despite being a married couple now, though Jaune had been curious as to why Nora had actually chose to drink water.

"Well, the two of us aren't going to be just the two of us for much longer." Nora announced.

Immediately everyone knew what it meant and huddled around her, each congratulating her.

As Jaune hugged Nora, he felt a small tap on his shoulder.

Turning around, that's when he saw her.

Yang was standing there, staring into his eyes after all this time.

Yang leaned in closer towards him.

"Follow me." Yang whispered.

Jaune didn't even hesitate following her outside.

Of course, this didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the group.

"I give it an hour before they're a couple." Nora said.

"After what happened last time, I doubt it." Weiss said.

"Never underestimate Jaune." Pyrrha said.

* * *

**Later.**

Jaune was riding on the back of Yang's motorcycle, looking in as the familiar route passed by so quickly.

Finally, Yang came to a stop, Jaune looking at the familiar sight, or talents partially familiar.

Before them was the beach, that same beach they had spent that summer at all those years ago.

Jaune sighed as he looked over to see a vacant area where the house once stood.

He could say whatever he wanted about the experience, but at the end of the day, he did miss and long for those simple days.

"So, you're neighbors with Blake and Weiss, right?" Yang asked.

Jaune was taken aback by her question, but managed to answer.

"Yeah, they live in the apartment next to mine." Jaune said.

"Good, then it won't be that awkward when I move into the other one next to you." Yang suddenly said.

Jaune did a double take at Yang's blunt answer.

"I'm sorry, what?" Jaune questioned.

"By the way, you don't have a girlfriend, do you?" Yang asked.

"Well, not at the moment." Jaune said.

"Oh, I get it, after me, nobody else would do, it's understandable, after all, I am a tough act to follow." Yang said, teasing him.

"I've dated other women, things just didn't work out, you know?" Jaune told her.

"Yeah, I know." Yang said.

"Why are you asking all of these questions anyway?" Jaune asked.

Yang walked over to him, standing beside him and looking at him without looking away.

"After you left, I spent time here, trying to get onto my feet." Yang said.

"After that, when Raven sold her house, I spent time on the road." Yang said.

"Even then, no matter what I did, to this day, you were always on my mind." Yang admitted.

"I realized after taking a job in the city that I had a second chance and this time I don't want to let it go." Yang said.

Jaune looked on, in complete shock from her confession.

"I realize that it'll take some time to forgive me, trust me and all that other stuff, but I'm willing to put in the effort, if you'll let me." Yang told him.

Jaune wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in closer, placing his lips on hers, gently.

Jaune didn't want to jump into this relationship at full speed either, but he couldn't waste this opportunity and let it go by.

As Jaune broke the kiss he smiled, seeing Yang blush.

"Consider this our second date." Jaune said.

Yang smiled, as memories of their first date came back to mind.

"So, you're moving out to the city?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah, turns out they're desperate for athletic talent." Yang told him.

Jaune nodded his head and looked out that horizon that had brought back so many memories.

"Should we head back, they're probably waiting for us?" Yang asked.

Jaune smirked and turned to look at her.

"What's the rush?" Jaune asked.

"We've got a lot of time to make up for." Jaune said.

Yang smiled and with that, once again, their lips met.

In a way, Jaune didn't let that simmer with Yang pass him by, it just took a little longer than he expected.

In the end, the two of them were here now and the wait, was well worth it.


End file.
